Talis
Physical features: Largely human in appearance with two notable exceptions: * 1) Upon reaching adolescence, a rune will appear somewhere on their bodies, large or small, and of varying color. The placement has no bearing on ability other than to symbolize that the person can tap into their latent abilities * 2) Silver iris' exclusive to all members of this race, it's the immediate tell-tale when you meet one. Abilities: Innate elemental magical abilities usually lineage directed by genetics. The element that appears in the Talis will be determined by the mother and the father and will not appear until their rune manifests upon reaching puberty.They cannot use this magic on their own, they require a totem to act as a conduit to harness their elemental powers, IE a talisman, hence their namesake. Talis of certain elements rarely stray from their own kind as it's been seen that mixing a mother and father of two different elements often causes physical and mental degradation of their offspring at birth. However, there are a few exceptions. Hierarchy: Within the Talos, there is something of an unspoken hierarchy determined via trial by combat to challenge others in power or by lineage. The structure is as follows: 1) The Archon. This is an individual who has climbed through the ranks and now lords over the entirety of the race and make decisions for the good (or bad) of the people. The current Archon Odius, is the first Archon to hold the title due to noble birth and the passing of his father. There is much contention about this decision and his status is often disputed amongst the forum. 2) The Forum: Senior members of the race that advise the Archon in all decisions and is the only governing body with the power to authorize war. Since the passing of the first laws, the governing body has been set to eleven members to prevent stalemate ties in the decision making process. All of the current members are via combat trial. 3) Seers: The Seers are likewise senior members of the race who act as governing officials in all personal matters within the race. They do not act or vote on matters of government in relation to foreign affairs and the Archon's business, but do act as judges in all items pertinent to law and governing of the general people. They work closely with the Forum in ensuring the law is carried out in accordance with the will of the Archon. The Archon does not interact with this group regularly, as this is the body of government that had the power to overthrow the Archon should the need arise, however there have been instances where the Archon has had a few Seers in his pocket for the purposes of warmongering. These Archons don't last long. There are seven members currently. 4) Mystic Knights: These are the best of the best warriors. These are the elite of all Talis proficient in using weapons to embolden their abilities and are the pride of the Talis government and champions of the people. They have no formal rank structure internal to them with one exception: they have a General (Grave) that answers to both the Forum and the Seers, and makes decisions for the rest of the Mystic Knights accordingly. Their numbers rate in the low hundreds.(edited) ---- 5) The Council: The Council governs the general people within the Talis' home city of Archinvald. There are five and they each lead a district within the city: Scandin (the rich district and home to the Mystic Knights and the Archon's hold), Varin (the business district), Furgosin (The military quarter), Durbin (The working class district), and Genosin (the rural district on the outskirts of the city). The Council, upon taking their post, forgoes their birthname and is henceforth known as Councilman/Councilwoman Genosin, Scandin, etc. ---- 6) City Watch: The City Watch is the law enforcement of Archinvald, they answer to the Council for their respective districts and are generally peacekeepers. However, the Forum with Archon approval can authorize militarization which turns the City Watch into simply The Watch for military use and mobilization against foreign threats. At that point, the Watch Commander no longer answers to the Council, but to the Forum and the Mystic Knights.(edited) The general populous falls under the City Watch. ---- The city of Archinvald: The city itself is a spectacle. The entirety of the city is made of a white stone that gives the city a pristine look, even in the lower class sectors. The stones are processed via Fire and Water Talis to ensure purity and the white coloration. The city itself follows similar architecture to what we would recognize as the ancient Greeks with one notable exception in the Archon's Hold. A massive gothic cathedral made of silver and black stone and is the seat of power for the Archon, the Forum and the Seers, and was the first structure in the Talis empire, hence the drastic difference in style.(edited) ---- Notes: Within the city limits, all magical use is fully authorized until it becomes destructive or harmful to the people. However formal combat is authorized up until the point that collateral damage forces the City Watch to intervene. Generally this is done outside city limits to be safe. There is a large dirt ring, outfitted like a makeshift arena in Genosin for just such a purpose. Generally, the Talis magic manifest within the following elements: 1) Fire 2) Water 3) Wind 4) Earth 5) Ice 6) Vegetation 7) Arcana Other elements have manifested before, but they rarely survive due to the genetic mismatching required to create them. Of worthy exception, the current Archon is the product of an Arcana/Fire pairing, and is one of the only known of the race who has survived to be perfectly healthy.